Anyone ever use a Mitch Rosen holster? I bought one the other day and it was so tight I could hardly get my pistol in it. After I got to all the way in, I couldn’t get it out without help.

I understand good fit and all, but this is pretty much nuts. Anyone else have this problem? Is it normal?

I have a few Rosen holsters and they did fit tightly initially. I usually spray the outside of the pistol with silicone and then holster it and do a few dozen draws from the holster before cleaning everything up and calling it good.
They are very well made, in my experience.

When breaking in a tight holster, I have put the gun in a plastic bag, then put the gun in the holster. That little bit can help stretch the holster.

Mitch Rosen makes a great holster.

Tim

I have some M. Rosen holsters, and for any new leather holster, I wrap the handgun in wax paper, and let it sit for some days, Works for me. SF VET

Wrap the handgun in a doube layer of wax paper, wax side out, insert it into the holster, place in the freezer overnight. Next morning the holster will more easily accept the handgun.

When I got my first one, (I have five now,) the women that took my order suggested I get some of their “Leather Lightning.”

I did and it sure made the break in time quick and easy. I still have some left after using it on all five so it doesn’t take much.

Jim

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That stuff costs thousands of dollars a gallon, but years ago, it was sold in a tiny bottle for probably ten dollars. My original bottle has done at least a half a dozen holsters, and has a few to go.

Used sparingly where needed, it works, and doesn't soften the holster. Galco probably has a copy by now.

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Formerly Model520Fan

^^^This^^^

Last month I received a new holster from Tucker Gunleather... It was as tight as you described... I did the plastic bag trick for about 3 nights and it helped a little... I eventually wrapped the gun in an old t-shirt, put it in the plastic bag, and reholstered the the t-shirt/bag combo overnight...

I have another holster that was so tight, I had to put the firearm in an old sock to stretch it out enough...

[/ATTACH]Correct!

I ordered my first Rosen holster in 1992 and have used “Leather Lightning” ever since.

I use it on all my leather holsters.

I can’t even remember what number bottle this is for me.

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I received a new Mitch Rosen Upper Limit for my Glock 48 a few weeks ago. It was very tight out of the package, but a little Leather Lightning and many draws over the next few days and it’s good to go! Those folks make great gun leather.

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Tim
SWCA #2697

I have 3 of Mitches holsters and they are very well made and I will use no other for OWB carry. The Leather Lightning certainly works with very little needed. Also you should only put the gun in part way then pull it back and gradually increase the depth till it seats home. After you have seated it fully in several time you reapply a small amount of the Leather Lightening on any rough areas you see. Good holsters usually are not to be made to broken in in 5- 10 minutes. His holsters are the perfect draw angle and height for me any way. The plastic bag trick is a well known method also and with Leather lighting would really smooth up the process. They are great and well made holsters. Enjoy it !!
Jim

I own one Rosen IWB holster. I also used the plastic bag trick to fit my Sig P225 to it. I don’t care for IWB holsters but this one is fairly comfortable.

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Do the baggie thing….or only wear it when you are with the person who helped you remove it,

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Thirty characters. Exactly...

I have had holsters made by Mitch Rosen in the past, but I don't
recall having any problem with tightness.

A while back I found an IWB holster with the pull-through snap by DeSantis
on the big auction site. When it came it appeared to be vintage but in new
condition. Probably never a gun in it. It was so stiff and tight that I could
not get my Colt's Agent in it.

I softened it up a bit with warm water. Then I wrapped the Agent in
Saran Wrap and forced it into the holster. Allowed it to dry over night
at room temperature.

The following morning I pulled the Agent out, removed the Saran Wrap,
and wiped the Agent off. The Agent slid in and out like it was supposed
to, and the pull-through snap on the retention strap worked flawlessly.

Here is a picture of the holster with the Agent in it.
By the way, the gunbelt shown in the photo was made by
Chic Gaylord.

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In Omnia Paratus

Most new holsters are tight - some are crazy tight. That said-follow the advise above, have patience and it will break in sooner than later. Better to wear in than wear out and be a sloppy fit. No one likes a sloppy fit.

Phil, that Desantis pull through looks very similar to the Alessi pull through IWB I had years ago for my model 60. Also had one for my Hi Power. Bet they’d fetch a pretty penny today,

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Thirty characters. Exactly...

Thanks for all the help. I can’t believe that this tight is normal, but from the comments I guess it is. I suppose I’ll just have to be patient and continue the break in process.

sipowicz - I just happen to have a pull-through by Alessi. Shown with
my Model 10.

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In Omnia Paratus

I only have one Mitch Rosen holster...Made for a Glock 19, but perfect for my Kimber BP Compact...Very nice fit and no problems drawing or re-holstering......Ben

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Cogito, ergo BOOM!...

Nobody mentioned soaking the leather before the plastic bag trick. Leather has been molded that way for centuries.

A lot of leather holsters are like that. I have several Mitch Rosen holsters as well as K L Null horsehide holsters and a few Milt Sparks holsters. Even Galco is that way when new. I learned to use a heavy zip lock plastic bag around the pistol/revolver and force the gun in as far as it is supposed to go and then just leave it to sit for a couple of days. For a few minutes every evening, I will use my wifes hair dryer to warm it up which helps the leather expand and get to where it needs to be. This has always worked for me. I think it is the norm with a brand new holster. Most holster makers use "forms" of the weapons made of cast aluminum or iron to mold the holster to fit in the first place. As these wear the new holsters are tighter and tighter when new. That's not all bad however. It just is a fact of life.

I've got some Mitch Rosen Leather Lightning.
It is good. I used it on my Alessi Shoulder Rig.
Also gonna use it on my Simply Rugged Sourdough Pancake Holster when it gets here. It really slicks the inside up.

I still have my 40 year old shoulder rig Lou dyed black and added the second generation harness after I sent it back to him some 20 years ago.

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Thirty characters. Exactly...

I like Rosen's 5JR, a pancake, and have three. One for my Colt DS, one for my M65 and one for my 640-1. They're tight, but I had no problem seating the guns when they were new. In fact, I don't notice any difference in tightness of fit between when they first arrived and now. Maybe it's more of an issue with semi-autos than revolvers. DS and M65 shown below.

I have many Mitch Rosen holsters. The above technique worked perfectly for all of the holsters. Use a Ziplock freezer bag and leave the gun in the holster for several days.

If you get Dillon's Blue Magazine many of the holsters offered are made
by Mitch Rosen. I had a 5JR president from them and it was a good
holster.

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In Omnia Paratus

Lots of very good advice for the new holster(s)..... but in my experience, nothing beats use. Regular use. Gun in, gun out. Wear the holster everyday. Gun in, gun out. Regular use will wear the holster in. And the results will be good.

Apologies to the original poster, don’t mean to hijack your thread. Any of the Rosen users out there utilize the Express holsters? How do they compare to the “regular” line? Thanks for relating your experience with either or both.

Whit, I recall reading on Rosen' site that, per Rosen himself, there is no difference in retention between his Express line and his regular line. He says the difference is cosmetic, that some customers prefer the look of the boning, which takes skill, time and effort.

I am one of those customers willing to pay more for the boning because I like the look, but would feel very confident buying his Express line if I felt like saving some bucks.

I also think we've had forum members posting here expressing satisfaction with Rosen's Express line.

Thank you, Onomea. I too read that info on the Rosen site. Just curious if users concurred with Mr. Rosen’s assessment. Like you, I like the boning, but given that nobody but me is going to see it, saving $70 might buy a little more ammo…if anybody has any!

FWIW, the holster they sent the first time was the wrong color. The replacement is the correct color, and is not quite so tight. Great customer service, by the way. This was an Express line holster. I would buy another one.

You didn’t mention the gun model, but I ordered one for a Ruger Max 9 and it locked into the holster. Took a long time to get it loose inserting stuff in there while pulling on the gun. Then I noticed the ejection port has super sharp edges that are causing the problem. I have a return authorization to Ruger to have them check it, but I haven’t shipped it yet. A kydex holster probably wouldn’t have that problem.

Mitch is finestkind and I have a couple for my gubmint models but in the last few years I've transitioned to Crossbreeds for daily carry.


I utilize the Rosen holsters for special events when I'm carrying my barbeque guns.

DO use the plastic bag method as mentioned by others here. That method is recommended by the top holster makers including my favorite Kramer. In my opinion DO NOT wet or try and remold the holster. The professionals at Mitch Rosen have already done that. I have no experience with the wax paper or leather lightning methods but they both sound like a good alternative. A quality leather holster requires proper break in and repeat practice draws. Both your gun and holster will thank you for your patience down the road.

No doubt about it, fully boned Mitch Rosen holsters are beautiful. I’ve owned several in the past but they were sold / traded with the guns. If you are impatient like I am, and if the holster is going to be concealed anyway, there is no beating the express line.

The UPL-EXP holster shown below with the Shield Plus in it is very tight. The JR5-EXP shown was just right as delivered. This is not the first time an Upper Limit was tight for me, both boned and express. Maybe they are supposed to be extra tight? I love the Upper Limit holster BTW. At first I tried to make it work at 3:00 but it just didn’t feel right. Then I tried 2:00 like the tap dancing girl in the video on the Mitch Rosen website and it made sense. It rides high and tight at 2:00.

The ammo pouch shown with the SP101 in the JR5-EXP is not a Mitch Rosen product.

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I'm thinking of a 5JR for my Hellcat Pro. Seems the only place you can buy them is direct from Mitch Rosen. Is that the case? (With DeSantis a hefty discount under MSRP is available through 3rd party vendors.)

Brian
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Brian, I've only bought direct from Rosen. There are some on eBay, but I did not see any for your pistol when I had a quick look just now.

I have two. While they are stiff, I didn’t need to apply and lube/conditioner or use plastic bags; conversely, one of my 1911 holsters from Warbird Leather required all the above.

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